Logan Mankins on M&M: Texans ‘frustrated, and deservedly so’

Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins checked in with Mut & Merloni on Monday to talk about Sunday’s victory over the Texans and next Sunday’s matchup with the Ravens.

The Texans stuck with their blitz-heavy game plan on Sunday, which came as no surprise to Mankins.

“They did the same thing all season long. They’ve had great success with it, so why were they going they stop?” Mankins said. “We did a good job of picking up the pressures at times and had some good plays from it. Other times we should have done a better job. But for the most part it went pretty well.”

Added Mankins: “They’re frustrated, and deservedly so. They do a great job all season, and the two times they play us they give up over 40 points. If I was them I’d be pretty frustrated.”

The Patriots had success with their hurry-up offense against the Texans. Mankins said the hurry-up presents challenges for the offense as well as the defense.

“We’ve done it for pretty much the whole season,” Mankins said. “You get down there, you make a good play to get down there. The line and the guys on the field, all of a sudden we just hear Tom [Brady] yelling a play, so it’s time to go. We just get lined up and go. A lot of times they’re not set and ready, so we get the jump on them. Then it just comes down to guys trying to figure out who to block, because they’re moving around everywhere, you don’t know who is who. Luckily we’ve been able to get guys on the right guys and there’s been a nice crease there for the backs, and it’s worked out very well.”

The Patriots have been criticized for their hurry-up offense — most recently by Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo — but Mankins said opponents would be better off focusing on how to stop it.

“It’s part of the game now,” he said. “We’re not the only team that quick-counts people. ‘¦ Whatever team you play, you have to be prepared for the nuances that they do. If you want to complain about it, that’s fine. If you want to try to prepare and get ready to stop it ‘¦”

The Ravens head to Foxboro for the AFC championship game with a team known for its defense, and Mankins is looking forward to the challenge.

“This is the game we wanted to get to. It gives us a shot to move on,” Mankins said. “The Ravens are always a tough test. They’re proven mentally tough and they’re physically tough. It’s always a hard-fought game. They’ve got a good defensive line — big, physical, strong guys. You’ve got big, physical linebackers. So, it’s always a tough matchup for the offensive line.”